Pothead or terminal for electric cable systems



July 25, 1944- c. E. BENNETT Z,354 l9l POTHEAD OR TERMINAL FOR ELECTRIC CABLE SYSTEMS Filed July 3, 1942 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 25, 1944 POTHEAD OR TERMINAL FOR ELECTRIC CABLE SYSTEMS Charles E. Bennett. Ridgewood, N. J., assignor to The Okonite-Callender Cable Company, Incorporated, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 3, 1942, Serial No. 449,573

Z Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in terminals or potheads for electric cable systems, and while adapted for use in terminating any electric cable system it is particularly well adapted for cable systems of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,015,063, dated September 24, 1935. In such a cable system oil is maintained under superatmospheric pressure in a pipe line containing the insulated but unsheathed cable conductor or conductors.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a pothead or terminal wherein the outer end of the terminal is of new'and novel construction. whereby a fluid-tight seal is provided at the outer end of the pothead so that when my pothead is employed in cable systems of the type disclosed in my prior patent above referred to, the pressure oil which surrounds the cable within the pothead will be held against leaking oil.

In prior potheads or terminal bushings it is the usual practice in terminating the cable to equip the cable with a connector of some kind which is threaded into the end of the pothead. These threaded connections are objectionable owing to heating because of the difilculty in making perfect contact between the threads of the connector and the bushing throughout the extent of the threaded connection.

In the present construction a leakproof terminal is provided without threaded connections so that the troubles experienced with prior potheads or bushings are overcome in a simple and practicable manner.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view of a terminal structure with one of the terminals or potheads shown in sectional elevation; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the outer end of the terminal,

For purposes of illustration I have shown a three phase terminal. 2 designates the end of the pipe line of the cable system. This pipe line, as will be understood, contains the cable conductors insulated with paper tape or other oil permeable material as shown at 4, the pipe line being lled with oil under superatmospheric pressure. The three phases of the cable are brought through manifold B which in the present instance is provided with three short lengths of pipe 8, these pipes carrying the pothead insulators I0.

It will beV seen from the sectional pothead in Fig. 1 that the interior oi the insulator is in comhead contains oil which is under the same pressure as the oil in the pipe line 2.

Cemented or otherwise secured to the outer end of the insulator I0 is a ring i2 upon which is bolted a plate i4. Packing i6 is provided between the plate I4 and the outer end of the insulator I0.

The outer end of the cable conductor is bared as shown at I8 and this bare or naked end extends into a connector 2l). The conductor may be sweated into the connector or otherwise rigidly and permanently secured thereto.

The connector 20 extends through the plate i4 and beyond the end of the pothead for a considerable distance to allow the attachment thereto of the power line to which the cable conductor is to be connected.

In order that the connector 20 may pass out oi' the pothead without the necessity of employing a screw threaded connection between it and the pothead, a packing ring 22 is provided between the connector and the plate Il. This packing ring is compressed by clamping ring 2l so as to provide a fluid tight seal between the plate I4 and the connector 20. The clamping ring 2l is bolted to the plate Il. Formed integral with the clamping ring 24 is an externally threaded hub or boss 26, receiving a sealing ring 28 for compressing packing 30 which is provided between the sealing ring and the hub 26. The connector 20 is pinned to the boss 26 by a pin 32.

It will be seen from all of the foregoing that my invention provides a pothead or terminal construction for cable systems wherein provision is made for connecting the cable to an outside line without the use of threaded connectors such as have been used heretofore, thereby eliminating the difllculties experienced with such connectors, as above pointed out.

It is to be understoodr that changes may be made in the details of construction above reierred to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A pothead for terminating an electric cable, said pothead comprising in combination an insulator for receiving the cable conductor, a ring sealed to the outer end of said insulator, a plate extending across the end of the insulator and bolted to said ring, a connector to be attached to the end of the cable conductor and extending through a bore in said plate to the exterior of said insulator, a ring of packing surrounding said connector and lying between it and the bore of munication with the pipe line, so that the pOt- 56 said plate, and a clamping ring bearing upon said under superatmospheric pressure, said pothead w comprising in combination an insulator into which extends the cable conductor surrounded by insulating fluid under superatmospheric pressure, a connector secured to the extremity of the cable conductor and projecting from the outer end ot the insulator, and means for providing a fluid-tight seal between said connector and the said insulator, said means comprising a ring surrounding and sealed to the insulator at its outer end, a plate extending across the end of the insulator and bolted to the face of said ring. said connector extending through said plate, packing between the plate and insulator end, a ring of packing about said connector where the connector extends through said plate, a ring for oompressing said packing to provide a huid-tight seal between the connector and said plate, a pin for connecting the last mentioned ring and said connector, a compression and sealing ring screwed upon said last mentioned ring, and packing inu termediate the two last mentioned rings,

CHARLES E. BENNE'I'I. 

